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V8 Supercars coming to Circuit of the Americas in 2013

June 24, 2012

Circuit of the Americas is expected to host the Australian V8 Supercars series in 2013. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Multiple sources have told Autoweek that the Circuit of the Americas, the under-construction road course near Austin, Texas, that is set to host its first Formula One race in November, will announce on Tuesday that the Australian V8 Supercars series will race there in 2013--likely on the same weekend as the nonpoints May NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway--in hopes of attracting some NASCAR stars.

The announcement is expected to feature at least one V8 Supercars driver, likely Mark “Frosty” Winterbottom, who was at the NASCAR road-course race on Sunday at Sonoma in California. Winterbottom, who drives a Ford Falcon in the series, visited with former V8 Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose--who now drives in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and was the pole sitter for the past two races--and with Ambrose's team owner, Richard Petty. Ambrose was the V8 Supercars champ in 2003 and 2004 before migrating to the United States to pursue a NASCAR career.

Winterbottom, presently third in the V8 Supercars points, was the voice of the car Frosty in the Disney Pixar film Cars 2.

Tuesday's announcement may or may not include news of a title sponsor for the race. Several companies are reportedly interested, all of them companies that are presently involved in racing in Australia, such as Jack Daniels.

The V8 Supercars series is expected to get a boost in the States from Fox Sports and the Speed Channel thanks to David Hill, chairman and CEO of Fox Sports, who is Australian.

The series is hosting 16 races in the 2012 season. All of the cars are either Ford Falcon FGs or Holden Commodore VE2s, as Holden is the Australian General Motors affiliate.

Whether or not the U.S. race features Ambrose may be revealed at the press conference. When Ambrose was asked by Autoweek several weeks ago about the race, he said he would be interested in participating, but no one from Circuit of the Americas or the series had reached out to him.

“I think it could be a hit in the U.S.,” he said then. “It's a great series.”